The use of haemostatic agents provides for control of bleeding in surgical procedures. Haemostatic agents supplement pressure, ligature and other conventional methods of controlling capillary, venous, and arterial bleeding.
The present investigators have commercialised a gelatin sponge as a haemostatic agent. A powdered agent has some practical advantages in terms of surface area coverage and can be removed by irrigation and suction. Conventional powdered haemostatic agents are unpractical and risk contamination of the sterile surgical field. The present invention addresses the risk of compromised sterility and contamination of the haemostatic agent by providing a kit which allows for the sterile and facile preparation of the powdered haemostatic agent.
WO 01/28603 relates to an injectable formulation for delivery of a composition comprising an osteogenic protein and a haemostatic gelatin foam paste as well as to a method of making a haemostatic gelatin foam paste suitable for injecting osteogenic protein, the method comprising hydration of Gelfoam® powder with glutamic acid buffer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,394,886 relates to a skin biopsy plug wherein the plug is a porous sponge made from gelatin material, which is implanted into a wound, swells, absorbs blood, and is completely absorbed in the patient. It relates to a combination of the punch (the blade for excising skin) and the plug. The plug used is the commercially available Gelfoam®. U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,849 claims a haemostatic patch comprising a biodegradable gelatin matrix, a haemostatic-promoting amount of thrombin and epsilon aminocaproic acid.
JP 62221357 discloses a skin ointment for promoting haemostatic effect comprising thermoplastic resin or rubber dissolved in solvent and contains dispersed gelatin powder. The product is an ointment comprising thermoplastic resin or rubber and a fine powder of collagen, gelatin or chitosan.
FR 2679772 relates to particulate material to create an embolism comprising a polymer coated with a haemostatic or thrombonic agent. The haemostatic agent may be a finely divided gelatin powder.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,096,309 relates to a haemostatic composition comprising thrombin and a mixture of non-microfibrillar collagen and microfibrillar collagen in an aqueous medium wherein the microfibrillar collagen has an average fibril diameter of about 3-30 nm.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,515,637 relates to both a method of forming a collagen-thrombin haemostatic composition and to a lysophilized collagen product, comprising collagen and thrombin.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,045,570 relates to a gelatin powder for use as a haemostatic agent and to a biological sealant comprising a gelatin slurry which includes milled gelatin powder. The slurry preferably comprises Gelfoam® powder mixed with a diluent selected from saline and water. The slurry demonstrates superior flow characteristics in that it exhibits minimal dilatency and can be easily injected or introduced through catheter lumens, especially small lumens. The product therefore has very fluid characteristics.
GelFoam® is a commercially available product providing powdered gelatin for application to bleeding surfaces as a haemostatic agent. The powdered gelatin is provided in a full glass jar with a metal lid or in a sachet, each of which are to be opened and the contents of which, i.e. the gelatin, are to be poured into a sterile beaker or bowl. Contamination must be avoided during this process and a sterile technique must be employed when adding a sterile saline solution. The problem of dispersion is avoided by initially compressing the powder with gloved fingers into the bottom of the beaker and then kneading it into the desired consistency. The powder is to be used as soon as the jar or sachet is opened and unused portions are discarded. This requires preparation of the haemostatic agent immediately prior to use. Contamination and sterility is not controlled by the product but rather by the user and by the co-ordination of events following preparation of the agent.
Curacell® is a powdered haemostatic agent comprising oxidised cellulose, caboxycellulosum calcium which is applied as dry powder onto a bleeding area.
Avitene® is a microfibullar collagen haemostat “flour” typically applied dry.